🔵 Offer A
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🟠 Offer B
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Comparison Result
| Offer A | Offer B |
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What This Calculator Accounts For
A higher salary doesn't always mean a better offer. This tool adjusts for cost of living differences between cities, factors in the real dollar value of your time spent commuting, and converts benefits like 401k match and PTO into their approximate cash value so you can compare offers on equal footing.
Commute time is valued at your effective hourly rate, since time spent commuting is time you can't use for anything else. Remote days reduce this cost proportionally. Cost of living adjustment normalizes both salaries to "purchasing power" so a $90k offer in a cheaper city can be fairly compared to a $110k offer in an expensive one.
Factors Worth Considering Beyond This Calculator
- Career growth potential — a lower-paying role with faster promotion velocity or skill development can be worth more long-term than a higher initial salary.
- Company stability — startup equity is high-risk/high-reward and difficult to value precisely, unlike guaranteed salary and benefits.
- Healthcare quality, not just cost — a cheaper health plan with a worse provider network or higher deductible may cost more in practice during an actual medical need.
- Work-life balance and culture fit — these are real factors that don't reduce to a dollar figure but significantly affect long-term job satisfaction.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is cost of living index calculated? ▼
Cost of living indices compare the relative price of goods, housing, and services between locations, with 100 typically representing the national average. You can find current index values for specific cities from sources like the Council for Community and Economic Research or NerdWallet's cost of living calculator.
Should I value remote work time savings the same as salary? ▼
Many people do place real value on reclaimed commute time, but how much varies by individual — some prefer the separation of a physical office, while others highly value the flexibility and time savings of remote work. This calculator quantifies the time cost objectively, but your personal preference should weigh into the final decision too.
What if one offer has equity or stock options? ▼
Equity is difficult to value precisely since it depends on company performance, time to liquidity (IPO or acquisition), and vesting schedules. As a rough rule, private company equity should be treated with significant skepticism regarding its eventual cash value, while public company RSUs can be valued more directly using current share price and vesting schedule.